Q&A: River of Snakes

What are your names? Oh. And the name of your band…
My name is Raul Sanchez... and my name is Elissa Rose and the Band is called River of Snakes

And what do you do?
Raul: I play fuzzed out guitar, sing, scream, jump around, and act like an idiot.
Elissa: I play Bass and sing.

When did you start doing that?
Raul: I think I was born slightly tweaked, but I started playing music in 1989, yeah a long time ago.
Elissa: I started playing bass when I joined River of Snakes in early 2010, but I've been playing guitar for 17 years now.

Why did you start doing that?
Raul: I heard a band called the Sex Pistols and I was never the same, then I realised that girls liked guys with guitars and there was no turning back.
Elissa: I always wanted to be in a band, it was a way to get my teen angst out. I guess I'm still pissed off.

Do you think you’re good at doing that?
Raul: Being liked by girls who like guys with guitars? Most definitely.
Elissa: I don't know, but I persist in doing it anyway, does it really matter?

If you weren’t doing that, what would you be doing?
Raul: Marine biology or Baking Bread, either are boring as bat-shit, so I opted for being poor but having fun.
Elissa: House-wife 

What makes you happiest about what you’re doing?
Raul: Loading heavy equipment up and down narrow stairs in dark places at 3am
Elissa: Getting beer poured in my eye while I try and sing

And what makes you unhappiest about what you’re doing?
Raul: The unquestioned adulation/disdain of the crowd.
Elissa: Loading my-own equipment through drunken crowds at 3am

What’s you proudest moment of doing what you do?
Raul: To still be playing a shit load of shows every year.
Elissa: To have worked with good musicians

And your least proud?
Raul: Thinking about giving it up almost every day.
Elissa: I am proud of everything we've done, the good and the bad.

When are you doing your thing next?
Raul: We are doing a Residency at Cherry Bar every Wednesday in February.
Elissa: And touring in ACT-NSW later in the week.